"The Man in the Clouds" - Melody M

     Many people question whether God exists or not. Many question whether you believe in the “right” God. God is the base of most religions. Whatever a believer calls him/them, he/they is a higher being with immense power and love that wants all good in the world. Who are we to question what someone believes in or if they believe in the right thing? Why is it a problem to many people that others find comfort in the belief of God or any other higher power? I ask myself these questions almost everyday. As a Catholic, I have gone through my ups and downs in my faith and a fair share of hate. I have always grown up with God, but it was more of an obligation. I went to church on Sundays because I had to, not because I wanted to. If we had something really fun to do that week, we missed church that Sunday. Then when I was around 8 years old my parents found God. And it was deeper than just starting to actually want to go to church. They started to go to church more than just on Sunday’s, they would prioritize church, they would start to talk to my brothers and I about God more. My parents found something worth living for and learning more about. With all that excitement and curiosity they gained, they took us to a bible study group every week with them. Being in that environment surrounded by people who seemed so complete with the idea of a man in the clouds that created every living thing on this planet mesmerized me. That’s when I started to find my faith. As the year went on I continued to grow in my faith and learn more about it. My religion is my rock and the one thing I have always been able to fall back on in every situation. As a little girl I believed that repeatedly saying “Jesus” out loud would make the “monsters” under my bed go away. It did, and to this day I still believe that doing that helps scare all evil away from me. Even the times when it’s 3 A.M. and I have to run downstairs to the fridge and run all the way back to my room in the dark. Believing in God and his entire divinity helped me get through my Grandpa and cousin’s death. No matter how bad it hurts not having them with me, I feel a million times better knowing they are somewhere in heaven watching over me and protecting me. Knowing heaven exists lets me know that I will see them again one day and I’ll never know when that day is. I don’t fear death, because I look forward to one day walking with Christ. I look forward to the day God calls me into heaven, because that will be the day I have done what God put me on this Earth to do. To me, it is so amazing how every single living and non living thing in the universe was made by God to have its own purpose, hold its own beauty, and live in harmony with one another. It is truly amazing how every single person is molded into their own unique self with a distinct personality. God also helped me through heartbreak. Someone I truly cared about and always made sure I was okay. A person that made me feel beautiful in my own skin and helped me gain my confidence. The person that made me happy to be who I am, see the beauty in everything, brought me closer to my family, and continuously encouraged me to prosper as an individual. My better half. Just when I thought I found someone I could be with forever, it was gone. At first, I wasn’t sure why God wanted to take him
away from me. Why would he give me someone that made me so happy just to take him away? I was hurt, angry, and sad. I prayed about it hoping for some sort of answer. I got nothing. I continued to pray for him and myself. Then I realized God was doing it to teach me a lesson. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt me or punish me for no reason. Everything happens for a reason. It might have been the biggest lesson I have ever learned in my life. It taught me a lot. Whatever the reason was, it was something that no longer belonged in my life. The whole heartbreak had me praying every single morning and every single night, but not just for myself and the other person. Those endless prayers in my room at night turned into prayers for me, my friends, my family, those who are sick and in need, and my ex. The prayers strengthened my religion and despite the pain, I wouldn’t give up that experience for anything in the world. Prayer took away all the pain from my suffering and made me feel comforted. It felt like I was talking to my best friend. It taught me to pray for those who wouldn’t pray for you. Although it's been months with no communication whatsoever and lots of awkward tension, I occasionally keep him and his family in my prayers. Not necessarily because I care like I used to, but because it’s something I feel in my heart as a Christian that I should do. I pray for those who have attacked me over my religion. Those who find it funny to ridicule me for believing in God or those who try to tell me what I believe in when they are not remotely educated on what I believe. People that try to speak for me when I can speak for myself. Many people have tried attacking me online through the years, trying to make me seem like a fool, asking me questions about my faith that I still don’t know the answers to. There have been those that have publicly humiliated me or made jokes accusing people of my religion of “worshipping statues.” Forgiveness was the first step to getting over it, then prayer. Wishing them the best and asking God to lead them the right way was the best I think I could do with what I had. I could go on and on about all the events that have occurred in my life that have strengthened my faith or made me question it, but it’s too many to even list. The final thing worth mentioning is respect all religions and beliefs. We live in a time where a person should be able to express what they believe in without fear of being picked on or attacked. People have their reasons for believing in whatever they believe in. They have their right to freedom of religion or right to not believe in anything. Whatever it is, one must be open to listening to others, even if they do not agree with what is said. We must spread love and positivity, especially in the world we live in today where hate can be spread through the use of technology. Spread love, not hate.